trace fossil

noun

: a fossil (as of a dinosaur footprint) that shows the activity of an animal or plant but is not formed from the organism itself

Examples of trace fossil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There is evidence through trace fossils that burrows date back 540 million years. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 But equally exciting are the numerous trace fossils—physical impressions made during the life of an animal—that have been uncovered. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 7 July 2024 Sometimes these enigmatic remains turn out to be trace fossils—records of an animal's activity but not part of the animal itself. Kristi Curry Rogers, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024 Researchers must consider skeletal anatomy, bone histology, the behavior of living relatives, and trace fossils, the new paper argues. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2024 The existence of lizard-like animals at the time is also supported by the discovery of trace fossils, like reptile tracks and drag marks left behind by the tail in soft mud. David Bressan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The bird tracks are not the only trace fossils in the rocks. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023 What bees typically leave are trace fossils or ichnofossils — imprints frozen in time of bodies, abandoned or active nests, or old burrows. Sarah Derouin, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2023 But the trace fossils—scrapes and scours in the rock—reveal the shape and behavior of animals that lived millions of years before the dinosaurs. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trace fossil was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near trace fossil

Cite this Entry

“Trace fossil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trace%20fossil. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on trace fossil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!